Dolphins Defense Remains Stingy

DAVIE — When an offense struggles to score points -- and even gives up a few -- the defense had better be good at keeping opponents out of the end zone.

This season, the Dolphins' defense has upheld its end of the bargain.

In having the fifth-ranked defense in the NFL, the Dolphins have led the league in two important categories, third-down and red-zone defense.

"We've been down there a lot and our main goal is to not let people in our end zone," cornerback Sam Madison said. "Once we step on the field, that's the focus that we take. Everybody gets pumped up and everybody is ready to get off the field, at the most come out of there with letting them get a field goal. Once they hike that ball, you see everybody just flying around, giving 110 percent."

The Dolphins are allowing opponents to convert third downs only 28.3 percent of the time. Of 187 third-down plays, opponents have converted 53 times.

Miami's efficiency on defense in the red zone is even better.

In 33 opponent possessions inside their 20, the Dolphins have allowed a league-low 107 points.

They have given up just eight touchdowns for a 24.2 percentage. They have also given up 17 field goals in those 33 possessions.

In the other eight opponents' possessions inside the Dolphins' 20, four ended on missed field goals, one by interception, one on a fumble, one on a punt and another on downs.

"If you stop them on that first play, you see guys with fire in their eyes, saying we can do it, we can stop them, we can get off the field, get a turnover or allow them a field goal," Madison said. "That's what you see out there on the field. Every time we're in the red zone, that's how we feel."

"It's everybody," defensive coordinator George Hill said. "You play team defense and you can't single out anybody, particularly in the red zone. Everybody's got to do his job. I think it's just a matter of they understand what we want to get done there, and we've got good players. They do a good job of what we want to do."

The 18 touchdowns allowed by the Dolphins' defense -- eight TDs have come on returns against the offense -- are tied for the fewest in the NFL this season.

In the 13 goal-to-go situations the Dolphins' defense has faced, it has allowed six touchdowns and four field goals and stopped the opponent on an interception, a fumble and on downs.

"The biggest thing I think is when you play good run defense in the red zone and you make a team one-dimensional," defensive end Trace Armstrong said. "Any time you can do that, you're going to have some success."

As successful as the Dolphins have been on defense, they have been unsuccessful on offense, ranking 26th in both third-down and red-zone offense.

With the Dolphins' offensive and defensive penchants evident in Sunday's 12-9 victory against the Chargers, Miami needed another strong performance on defense.

With all of their 12 points coming on Olindo Mare field goals, the Dolphins' defense had to hold San Diego in the red zone four times, stopping the Chargers on the 5-, 12-, 12- and 18-yard lines.

The Chargers settled for field goals three times before John Carney missed a game-tying 36-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining.

"Last game when we were backed up, we felt like, hey, we need to stop them here or there are going to be problems," linebacker Zach Thomas said. "We felt like our offense was struggling, so we felt like if we were going to win it, we were going to win it on defense."